After a week off, the undefeated East Jackson Eagles hope to pick up Friday night where they left off as they host the Rabun County Wildcats.
Rabun County comes to town off of an Oct. 2 loss to one of the other two undefeated teams in 8-AA, North Oconee.
The Wildcats are winless in region play so far this season, and are 1-5 overall for the year. The Eagles are 6-0.
The Eagles are averaging 39.5 points per game, compared to 11 per game for Rabun County.
The Eagles squeaked out a victory against the Wildcats last October, winning 24-20.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
Coach Frank Caputo said he is delighted with where his team is right now.
“But we’re really just a little bit over halfway,” he said. “If you look into the playoffs, you’re a third of the way if you’re going to make it to the big one. We’re happy for our kids and happy for our community. It’s something that we were hoping was going to pan out. Our kids have been working hard and we’ve had great support. We’re delighted with where we are at this point in time.”
While it may be easier to keep the team’s energy level up coming off the six wins, Caputo said it could also be a double-edged sword.
“A lot of people give our kids a lot of compliments and talk good about them, and rightfully so,” he said. “They’ve earned that, but every time you win, the bulls-eye gets bigger.”
Caputo added that his team finds itself in uncharted territory.
“These kids have never been in a situation where they’ve been 6-0 as players,” he said. “Some of our coaches haven’t been 6-0 as coaches. So it’s not just keeping the kids focused and grounded, we have to do the same with our coaches, which is a good problem to have.”
Caputo said he feels his players have finally learned that most of the motivation they need out on the field has to come from within.
“We can prepare them, we can practice them, but we can’t go out and play for them,” he said. “Their motivation is coming from within them, and when one guy is enthusiastic, another becomes enthusiastic and it’s contagious. That’s how we really look at it."
“We tell the kids we need to be humble in what we’re doing because just as fast as you’ve gotten here, it can be taken away with just a few wrong plays.”
